Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sandy Point
South of
Crossing Rocks
, a forlorn fishing village 40 miles south of Marsh Harbour, the
Great Abaco Hwy sweeps southwest through vast acres of pineland and ends at Sandy
Point, a picturesque fishing community backed by a coconut-palm plantation.
Rickmon's Bonefish Club
( 242-366-4477; ) is a big stucco McMansion perched
on the very tip of the island and owned by a well-known bonefishing guide. Packages start
at about $1500 per person for a two-day, three-night stay including fishing. For hardcore
anglers.
Pete & Gay's Guest House
(
242-366-4119; r $90;
) also draws bonefishers.
Rooms are motel-style and the restaurant is rather musty.
Bahamas Ferries
( 242-323-2166;
www.bahamasferries.com
;
Nassau) makes the
trip from Nassau to Sandy Point twice weekly (round-trip $100, four hours).
The
Captain Gurth Dean
mail boat sails from Nassau to Sandy Point weekly (see
Click
Twenty miles northwest of Sandy Point,
Moore's Island
is the only inhabited island off
the west coast of the Abaco mainland. The settlements of
Hard Bargain
and the
Bight
have a long fishing tradition and a wild, rustic spirit. Mail boats do stop here.
DISNEY'S PRIVATE ISLAND
On a clear day, if you stand by the shore in Sandy Point looking west, you may
just see the outline of a massive ship on the horizon. This is Castaway Cay,
AKA Gorda Cay, a former drug-runners haven turned private Disney port. The
Walt Disney Company bought the island for exclusive use of the passengers on
Disney Cruises, who play in Swiss Family Robinson-style waterslides, snorkel
around sunken vessels used in movies like
Pirates of the Caribbean
, and bike
on an old airplane runway. Unfortunately for independent travelers, the only
way to visit the island is to book a
Disney Cruise
Abaco National Park
The 32-sq-mile park was established in 1994 to protect the major habitat of the endangered
Bahamas parrot. About 1500 parrots now live here along with some wild pigs and stunning
orchids.
There's also an extensive limestone cave system to explore (the local parrot population
is unique - the birds nest in holes in the limestone rocks), plus hiking trails, lonesome
beaches, and incredibly wild and spectacular scenery along the Atlantic shore. A turnoff
for the park is signed 10 miles south of Crossing Rocks.
